DeAndre Yedlin says he couldn’t have asked for a ‘better club’ to play for last season than Sunderland .

The USA defender joined the Black Cats on loan from Tottenham in August, and was a key part of their revival under Sam Allardyce in the second half of the campaign.

Yedlin won his battle with Billy Jones for the right-back slot where he established himself as part of a settled back four as Sunderland put together an impressive run of results which earned their Premier League safety.

Whether Big Sam goes back for Yedlin again this summer remains to be seen, but for Yedlin’s part, he heads back to London having loved his experience on Wearside.

“My time at Sunderland has been unbelievable,” Yedlin told the club’s official website.

“It’s my first run at Premier League soccer so I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.

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“Everybody at the club welcomed me in with open arms and the fans were amazing throughout the season, so I couldn’t have asked for a better club to start my time in England.

“I feel blessed to have had the chance to play for Sunderland.”

The switch to Wearside was a big one for the USA star – but he has no regrets about the move.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I first came up here,” he added.

“People had spoken about the club and the fans but it’s been better than I could ever have wished for – even on the last day when we were playing for nothing the fans created an unbelievable atmosphere.

“The staff have treated me brilliantly and the players have a very tight-knit locker room, so it’s been an amazing experience from start to finish.”